Before you read anything: read this.
I'm fully aware that I'm going to receive a metric tonne of *chocolate cookies* for this post, because, how dare HELVIAN of all people post something that might help people? Save your *chocolate cookies* for later when you run into me in game - it's not needed here.
With this obligatory rebuttal to your rebuttals already forming in your head from the combination of my name and a thread in the forums, let's get started.
So, a tutorial mode on what? Take a wild guess.
Like anyone else who can remotely play this game, we're all annoyed at these "llama"s. Nobody is happy about them being around as skill-less players, who's skill levels are stagnating at the same entry level for months on end. Sure, there have been a FEW players who've worked their way up incredibly slowly. But just think about the number of people who stumble upon this game, or are referred to it from their friends, and compare it to the people who have found their own way. The ratio would probably be about 1:100.
But what can we do? The thread title.
I'm not talking about walls of text (like this one) that just TELL people how to do things. Most likely they will not read it, not be able to find it, or take in the information. It's not interactive in the slightest, and it doesn't help new players at all.
I'm talking about a fully immersive and interactive tutorial mode, contained within the game, that teaches players everything step by step. It could either be on a pre-set tutorial map with skiing surfaces, overdrive practices, and weapon practice areas. It should probably be progressive - start with skiing, and then the different cores, then work onto weapons and more advanced techniques.
It's going to need to teach players about:
Think of the problems this will solve:
This tutorial mode will probably have to be the collaborated efforts of many developers/volunteers, with the coding needed to automate a tutorial like this. I'm not familiar with the engine, and the limitations in what it can achieve. The ideal tutorial mode is what it is - ideal, simply the best version of what it could be. As long as it teaches new players about the basics of the game, it's going to improve the player base, and also make this game not so unfriendly to newcomers.
In a game where:
You probably just skipped to the bottom of this post. Stop reading this line, go back to the start and read it properly this time.
I'm fully aware that I'm going to receive a metric tonne of *chocolate cookies* for this post, because, how dare HELVIAN of all people post something that might help people? Save your *chocolate cookies* for later when you run into me in game - it's not needed here.
With this obligatory rebuttal to your rebuttals already forming in your head from the combination of my name and a thread in the forums, let's get started.
So, a tutorial mode on what? Take a wild guess.
Like anyone else who can remotely play this game, we're all annoyed at these "llama"s. Nobody is happy about them being around as skill-less players, who's skill levels are stagnating at the same entry level for months on end. Sure, there have been a FEW players who've worked their way up incredibly slowly. But just think about the number of people who stumble upon this game, or are referred to it from their friends, and compare it to the people who have found their own way. The ratio would probably be about 1:100.
But what can we do? The thread title.
I'm not talking about walls of text (like this one) that just TELL people how to do things. Most likely they will not read it, not be able to find it, or take in the information. It's not interactive in the slightest, and it doesn't help new players at all.
I'm talking about a fully immersive and interactive tutorial mode, contained within the game, that teaches players everything step by step. It could either be on a pre-set tutorial map with skiing surfaces, overdrive practices, and weapon practice areas. It should probably be progressive - start with skiing, and then the different cores, then work onto weapons and more advanced techniques.
It's going to need to teach players about:
- The three types of armour
- Basic controls (downjetting and such)
- Skiing + Capping
- Advanced manoeuvring (rocket jumps, boost grenades, plasma)
- The weapons, their pros and cons, and how to go about using them (can come under advanced manoeuvring)
- General aiming practice (target dummies, enemy AI in an open arena)
- The various cores (and the ones yet to be implemented)
- Even basic things such as where to access and make your loadout
- In future, teach players about the rabbit mode, and other future modes to come
- Implement every map so people have a map to themselves (and maybe defending AI) to practice on
Think of the problems this will solve:
- A vastly reduced number of "idiots" in public matches
- A vastly reduced volume of nerd-rage from people like me
- More competitive public matches
- Less hostility between the new player and the seasoned veteran
- No flame wars over a flag
- A lot less cold-blooded team killing
- All the wars in the world will come to a close
- Global warming will cease
- Poverty will end immediately
- America's debt will evaporate
This tutorial mode will probably have to be the collaborated efforts of many developers/volunteers, with the coding needed to automate a tutorial like this. I'm not familiar with the engine, and the limitations in what it can achieve. The ideal tutorial mode is what it is - ideal, simply the best version of what it could be. As long as it teaches new players about the basics of the game, it's going to improve the player base, and also make this game not so unfriendly to newcomers.
In a game where:
- The professionals rarely ever help the new players
- The new players are 99 times out of 100 unable to learn for themselves
- The new players don't help themselves or others
- Help is rarely asked for in game, or in the forums (I barely see anyone query about how to play this game, compared to the amount of people who are in need of tutoring)
- A handful of new players act incredibly hostile towards criticism
You probably just skipped to the bottom of this post. Stop reading this line, go back to the start and read it properly this time.